Punta Cana Hurricane Season 2016

Yesterday, June 1st, was the official start of the 2016 Atlantic hurricane season which is forecasted to be an average to a slightly above average hurricane season.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), an official U.S. institution is forecasting the formation of 10 to 16 named storms, both tropical storms and hurricanes. Their forecast predicts between 4 and 8 hurricanes of which 1 to 4 could become major hurricanes (winds greater than 110 mph).

Graphic found on fox6now.com

There is no way to predict where a tropical storm or hurricane will make landfall ahead of it’s formation so we can’t tell you if the Dominican Republic will be affected or not by a tropical system this year. We can however tell you that the last time a hurricane directly impacted the Punta Cana area was in 1998 when category 3 (out of 5 on the Saffir Simpson scale) made landfall in the eastern part of the Dominican Republic causing great damage in it’s path.

Tropical storms and tropical depressions are more likely to affect your vacation at any given time but fear not since the wind associated with these systems is not a threat to existing touristic infrastructure. Water activities would be suspended and you would be rained in but usually for just one day, depending on the forward speed of the system.

The Punta Cana hurricane season extends from June 1st to November 30th with the peak of the season being from late August to early September. Since there is no way of knowing when or if a tropical system will affect the DR there is no point on dwelling on it too much, just pack your bags, hope for the best and stay informed.